- Vehicles
- 45
- Built between
- Nov 2002 – Sep 2004
- Models
- 1
- Recall type
- Vehicle
- Initiated by
- Manufacturer
- Owners notified
- 3 December 2004
- Repaired
- Not reported
- Unrepaired
- Not reported
Does this affect my vehicle?
This recall covers vehicles built between November 2002 and September 2004. If yours was built outside that window, it is not part of this recall.
- 2003-2004 Unimog U500Built November 2002 to September 2004
What the defect is
On certain trucks equipped with michelin 365/85 R20 tires, the tires may not be compatible with the maximum load and maximum speed ratings.
What could happen
Vehicle over-loading and tire under-inflation will result in vehicle rollover and injury to occupant.
What gets fixed
DEALERS WILL REPLACE THE TIRES WITH MICHELIN 395/85 R20, AND AN UPDATED GROSS AXLE WEIGHT RATINGS (GAWR) CERTIFICATION LABEL WILL BE AFFIXED TO THE VEHICLE. THE RECALL BEGAN ON DECEMBER 3, 2004.
Timeline
- Vehicles builtNovember 2002 to September 2004
- Recall reported to NHTSA8 November 2004
- Owners notified3 December 2004
Your rights
A safety recall repair is free. Under US federal law the manufacturer must fix a safety defect at no cost to you — no charge for parts, labor or diagnosis — whether or not you are the original owner. A dealer cannot charge you for recall work, and cannot require you to have bought the vehicle from them.
That entitlement is not unlimited. It applies where the vehicle was first sold less than 15 years before the recall was announced — 5 years for tires. Past that a manufacturer may still do the repair free of charge, and many do, but they are no longer obliged to. This recall was reported on 8 November 2004.
To arrange the repair, contact any franchised dealer for the brand. If a dealer refuses the work or tries to charge for it, you can report that to NHTSA at nhtsa.gov/recalls or on 1-888-327-4236.
Manufacturer contact
Owners should contact freightliner at 1-800-547-0712.
Official source
- Manufacturer's recall number
- FL-434
- Recalling manufacturer
- FREIGHTLINER LLC
- Recall initiated by
- MFR
Everything on this page — the models listed, the build dates and the repair figures — comes from the manufacturer's filing to NHTSA and describes the vehicle line as a whole, not any individual car. Only the manufacturer can confirm whether a specific vehicle is affected, and whether its recall work has already been carried out. Check yours by VIN and read the official notice at nhtsa.gov/recalls.
Additional notes
Freightliner recall NO.FL-434.CUSTOMERS can also contact the national highway traffic safety administration's auto safety hotline at 1-888-DASH-2-DOT (1-888-327-4236).
Check your own vehicle
This page describes the recall, not any one car. To see which recalls cover a specific vehicle, search by make, model and year.
A VIN lookup here identifies your vehicle and shows recalls issued for that make, model and year. It cannot tell you what is still open on your individual car - only the manufacturer knows that. Search by VIN instead, or check your VIN at nhtsa.gov for whether a recall is still open on your individual car.